Solved Windows cannot find files in WindowsApps folder

  • Hi there and welcome to PC Help Forum (PCHF), a more effective way to get the Tech Support you need!
    We have Experts in all areas of Tech, including Malware Removal, Crash Fixing and BSOD's , Microsoft Windows, Computer DIY and PC Hardware, Networking, Gaming, Tablets and iPads, General and Specific Software Support and so much more.

    Why not Click Here To Sign Up and start enjoying great FREE Tech Support.

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.
Status
Not open for further replies.
JawniHawni

JawniHawni

PCHF Member
Feb 23, 2019
26
5
36
For a better idea on what I mean, refer to the attached screenshots.

I had first noticed this issues in regards to my Nvidia Control Center app. Whenever I try to launch it I get a "The parameter is incorrect" error with a path to where the file is. The file IS there if I just go to the location, but Windows somehow can't compute it. I've now started to see it with other apps through the Microsoft Store as well.

About the PowerShell in the screenshots, I was trying to re-register the Microsoft Store app as I now cannot even open it. This is a new development after doing an in-place upgrade in hopes of that fixing the parameter incorrect issue, but the in-place upgrade didn't help.

So... I am a bit puzzled. I have a hunch that this is all a trickle down effect from something I had done previously on Windows 7 and all this is nonsense from upgrading. I've also mirrored my old hard drive into an SSD into a newer one a couple times with the same installation. I hope it's something else though, since I'm not yet willing to do a completely clean installation of Windows. Before I get there, I figured I'd come here and poke the hivemind for some assistance.

(I do have other smaller things too I've noticed like corrupt access control entries, but one thing at a time.)
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot (2).png
    Screenshot (2).png
    154.9 KB Views: 69
  • Screenshot (3).png
    Screenshot (3).png
    138.4 KB Views: 54
Windows Repair.

Install (use the direct download) theTweaking.com - Windows all in one repair tool. Then boot Windows into Safe Mode, (Make Certain To Run This Program As Administrator)then run through the Prescan on step 2 tab. Then skip to step 5 and create a system restore point. Then go to the repair tab...

Notice create a registry backup is ticked by default, so no need to do so in step 5...
upload_2017-1-5_18-37-26-png.1290



Now run the program, with the boxes ticked in the picture below.

Click Image Below For Better Resolution.

upload_2017-1-5_18-40-40-png.1292



May want to save picture or write down what boxes need ticked, since you will run this in Safe Mode.


Important: Make certain to reboot twice after running this tool!!
 
Alrighto. Did and done all that.

Upon reboots and coming back here, I got greeted with that (see screenshot). There was a second one right after that that I didn't screenshot. My Nvidia thing still reports the parameter incorrect error and Microsoft Store still doesn't open. It did try (I saw that splash screen), but no luck opening.
 

Attachments

If that fails, then I’d suggest uninstalling and reinstalling MS Office, and your display drivers with DDU

Download, install, or reinstall Microsoft 365, Office 2024, or Office 2021 on a PC or Mac - Microsoft Support

Learn how to install, reinstall, or activate Microsoft 365 or Office 2019 on a PC or Mac.
support.microsoft.com support.microsoft.com



www.guru3d.com

Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) download version 18.0.8.9

Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) - Remove AMD/NVIDIA/INTEL Graphics Drivers Cleanly - DDU is a driver removal utility that helps you completely uninstall AMD/NVIDIA graphics card drivers and packages from your system, leaving no leftovers behind, including registry keys, folders, files...
www.guru3d.com www.guru3d.com
 
Clean boot didn't work.

Out of curiousity while I tackle the office and drivers, why would those two cause these issues? Some weird cross-compatibility things?
 
Honestly it won’t hurt and I found a thread earlier where that helped. I am not sure why.
I’ll ask another member to step in if this doesn’t help, cause I’m running short in ideas.

@phillpower2 @Bruce @PeterOz
 
Neither of those helped. The errors still popup and Microsoft Store wont open.

My bet is on something to do with permissions and/or the WindowsApps folder itself. Everything seems to be centered there, but I lack the know-how to do anything with that.
 
Yea that was one of the repairs you selected in the all on one tool. I have tagged other members, hopefully they chime in.
 
www.sordum.org

PowerRun v1.7 (Run with highest privileges)

PowerRun is a tool to launch any program/script files with the same privileges as the TrustedInstaller /SYSTEM. it is a Portable and free
www.sordum.org www.sordum.org

I’ll leave you with this. Perhaps running the all in one tool via this tool may help....

Or maybe the power shell commands could respond correctly via this tool.
 
I tried re-registering Windows Apps using this and PowerShell and it's still giving the same errors.

I did notice that some of the errors in PS say "Deployment Register operation rejected on package Microsoft.ConnectivityStore_1.1604.4.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe from: AppxBundleManifest.xml install request because the Local System account is not allowed to perform this operation." And this is with PowerRun and PowerShell. Is that a concern or does it mean I'd have to run the command in recovery?
 


I recommend you to use DISM command to repair your windows properly , just use following command (You need an extracted windows 10 ISO file and it must be the same version)
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:\sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess
NOTE: If you extract windos ISO to your USB-Stick and for example your USB-Stick letter is H then change the command like this
…. /Source:wim:H:\sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess

 
Good thing I had an image handy on a stick already!

It did its thing. It completed successfully without any errors or fixes done.
 
Well, that did something, I guess?

The Nvidia app launches while I'm on the Administrator account and I don't get those startup pop-up errors about the parameter being incorrect. Microsoft Store still will not open though. On my normal user/admin account the Nvidia app still wont launch though. User account corruption or something maybe?

Re-registering apps via PowerShell resulted in both kind new and old information: Old being that Windows still doesn't find the manifest.xml files that are in the folder if you go check. The kind of new is about the same xml files, but this time the error message says access is denied to it for some apps.
 
Aside from running the all in one tool from the admin account thru the power run tool, I have nothing more. Hopefully one of the members will chime in. Sorry I could not help.
 
I gave that a shot. It didn't do anything new. While I was at it, I ran sfc and dism there too as well as tried to reset permissions with icacls, but no luck with any of those.

BUT I did find something new. If I go to the Microsoft Store folder in WindowsApps and try to run it, it'll throw some new errors from there. It's saying it's missing "SharedLibraries.dll" and "mrt100_app.dll". From the looks of it they're things that should be available through your newest .NET update,which I checked and I installed a pending one. Still with the new update, it doesn't want to open.

Another thing I did note, some 700 files/folders total do not have an owner at all. The Microsoft Store app and its dll didn't have an owner at first at all. After taking ownership it started giving me the other two dll errors. This is where I'm kind of in the dark. I have an assorted .NET already installed and available and even if one of them was missing a dll or two, I'm not sure where to start potentially finding and replacing the files.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom